Everyone stood quietly before the stone monument, digesting everything they had just heard.
The truth from eight hundred years ago.
The Void Century.
The secrets of the world.
And... that man named Joy Boy - the first pirate, the hero who gave everything for freedom and ultimately fell.
"Hahaha..."
Roger laughed, throwing his head back with hands on his hips, laughing until tears streamed from his eyes.
"Hahaha..."
Others joined in the laughter.
Everyone present was laughing.
"Joy Boy—" Roger wiped tears from the corner of his eyes, saying with booming laughter:
"I really wish... I could have been born in the same era as you!"
"You left behind such an amazing treasure, yet it turned out to be such an incredible joke!"
He turned to face everyone.
"Listen well, everyone!"
"For eight hundred years, this final island that no one has set foot on—let's give it this name!"
Roger spread his arms wide and laughed heartily:
"Laugh Tale!!!"
Laugh Tale.
An absurd and hilarious story.
A joke written with life itself.
The most precious treasure left for future generations.
...
Not long after, news that shocked the entire world spread.
Countless News Birds delivered newspapers with massive headlines to every corner of the world.
"Pirate Roger has accomplished the unprecedented feat of sailing around the world!"
"Not only that, he also found the legendary Final Island!"
"This is truly the King of the Seas—the Pirate King!!!"
...
In the New World, aboard the Whitebeard Pirates' Moby Dick.
Whitebeard sat in his massive chair, holding a newspaper in his hand.
Beneath his crescent-shaped mustache was a faint, subtle smile.
"Gurararara..." He put down the newspaper, picked up his wine bowl, and drank deeply:
"That Roger guy actually did it."
...
In the Fengtian Empire, Sky Palace.
Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Within the luxurious hall, singing and dancing filled the air.
Dancers gracefully moved across the central floor while musicians played beautiful melodies.
Raiver reclined lazily on his massive throne, supporting his head with one hand.
Xingmian leaned against his chest, her slender fingers holding a newspaper as she read softly:
"The Roger Pirates have reached the Final Island, Pirate Roger has become the recognized 'Pirate King'.".."
Xingwan nestled against his other side, holding a manuscript—the complete record from the Final Island's stone monument delivered by Dr. Clover.
"Your Majesty, would you like to hear it?" Xingwan asked quietly.
Raiver nodded slightly.
Xingwan cleared her throat and began reading:
"To you who have finally reached this place—"
Her voice was melodious and gentle as she read out the history that had been silent for eight hundred years, word by word.
From Joy Boy's personal account to the mission of the D Clan.
From the truth about the Ancient Weapons to the war with Imu.
From the shattering of the continent to the sinking of the world.
From the origin of the Apology Text to the instructions for future generations.
At that moment, Raiver suddenly smiled: "Imu, just wait. The world has no towering tree—everything has its conqueror.
Let's see which of us will have the last laugh."
...
On the deck of the Oro Jackson, the sea breeze was gentle and the sunlight radiant.
Rayleigh leaned against the ship's railing, holding the latest newspaper as he read aloud:
"Wealth, fame, power—the man who possessed it all, the Pirate King GolD. Roger. Bounty: 5,564,800,000 Belly."
"Pfft—HAHAHA!!!"
Roger, who had been tilting his head back to drink, spat out his alcohol upon hearing "Gol D." before bursting into roaring laughter.
"It's Gol D. Roger! But..."
Wiping the alcohol from his lips, he grinned widely:
"The title 'Pirate King' does sound pretty good!"
Gaban, gnawing on a meat bone nearby, mumbled indistinctly:
"Those newspaper folks can't even get the name right, seriously..."
Rayleigh set down the newspaper, his gaze profound:
"Now we finally understand why the Marines are hiding the 'D' in your name."
The deck fell silent for a moment.
The D Clan—People of the Dawn, the spark of freedom, companions of Joy Boy.
The meaning behind that letter was something only they truly comprehended now.
"Let them hide it if they want." Roger stood up and walked to the railing, gazing at the distant sea:
"It's just a name. It doesn't change anything."
Rayleigh frowned slightly as he looked at the newspaper in his hand:
"Roger, thanks to you, the entire world has its eyes on us now."
At this very moment, across the New World, the Grand Line, and the Four Seas—countless Pirates were setting sail with a single goal:
Find the Roger Pirates, defeat them, and claim greater fame.
Whoever defeats the Pirate King becomes the new Pirate King!
The Marines mobilized on an even larger scale.
Garp led fleets scouring the world for traces of the Roger Pirates.
Warships patrolled every major sea, while intelligence agents frantically gathered every clue.
The Five Elders panicked.
They were afraid.
News of the Roger Pirates reaching the Final Island had spread worldwide.
If they were to reveal the truth discovered there—the Void Century, the Ancient Weapons, Imu's existence—
The consequences would be unimaginable.
They had to be found. They had to be silenced!
Yet—
Just as the Roger Pirates' fame peaked and the whole world searched for them, shocking news emerged.
The Roger Pirates had disbanded.
"What?!"
"Disbanded?! Why?!"
"You've got to be kidding!"
The crew gathered on the deck, staring at their captain in disbelief.
Roger stood at the bow, his back to everyone.
"The Roger Pirates are hereby disbanded."
Silence.
Deafening silence.
Then—
Someone began to cry.
One, two, three...
The men who had fought alongside him for years, the Pirates who bled but never shed tears, now wept openly like children.
"Why... why disband..."
"We can keep sailing!"
"Captain, don't abandon us..."
Roger turned around.
A smile was on his face.
"Stop crying, you bastards. I have an incurable disease. I don't have long to live."
The crying grew louder.
"But that's not the only reason." Roger continued:
"Now I finally understand—someone will be born, and they will surpass us."
"We were simply too early."
The crying gradually subsided.
Everyone exchanged glances, then suddenly broke into laughter.
In those smiles lay relief, understanding, and blessings.
They knew who the captain was referring to.
That person would inherit Joy Boy's will.
That person would eat the legendary Devil Fruit.
That person would, one day in the future, inherit everything.
Rayleigh murmured to himself, "Who could that person be? Who will find the One Piece?"
Roger looked at him and grinned:
"It should be my son."
Rayleigh immediately rushed over, shaking Roger's shoulders: "Wake up, you don't have a son."
"I will someday." Roger winked:
"Come on, let's drink to our hearts' content! Then we'll head to seas without Marines. I'll disembark first."
"YEAH—!!!"
Everyone cheered in unison.
In those cheers lingered reluctance and sorrow, but even more so, anticipation for the future.
This must be what they call a good parting.
That night, the Oro Jackson was brightly lit, filled with the aroma of alcohol.
They drank all night, sang all night, laughed all night.
The next day, sunlight spilled across the sea.
Roger was the first to disembark.
He stood on the shore, looking at the ship that had accompanied him through countless seas, at the comrades who had fought by his side, and grinned.
"Rayleigh, Gaban, everyone... take care."
"Take care, Captain."
The sails were raised, and the Oro Jackson slowly sailed away.
Roger watched until it disappeared beyond the distant horizon, then turned and embarked on a new journey.
South Blue.
An unremarkable small island.
A little shop named "Rouge's Bar."
Roger pushed the door open. The woman behind the counter looked up, her gentle eyes lighting up the moment she saw him.
"Roger..."
"Rouge." He walked to the counter and sat down. "I'm back."
Rouge looked at him, her eyes slightly reddening.
She knew he had an incurable disease.
She knew his time was limited.
But she didn't care.
"Welcome back."
She said softly, pouring him a drink.
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